It has been worn over the years by over 800 players and still remains one of the most prestigious uniforms in all of professional sports.
Throughout its history, the Canadiens jersey has undergone many transformations. This section explores the great tradition and metamorphosis behind the bleu-blanc-rouge.

Canadiens legend Newsy Lalonde wore a blue and white jersey. The Canadiens wore it for one season only.

The would-be trademark red was introduced as was a green maple leaf and a stylized "C" and "A" which stood for Canadian and Athletic.

1911-1912

1912-1913

The colored stripes around the waist and around the cuffs are an obvious precursor to the stripes that adorn the Canadiens jersey of today. There was now a number on their left arm.

This jersey was referred to as the Barber Shop jersey. It includes the letters CAC on a maple leaf which stands for Canadian Athletic Club.

1912-1913

1913-1915

Complaints from the Senators lead to a midseason jersey change. This jersey is the starting point for what the Canadiens duds would look like for years to come. It was solely worn against the Senators.

The additions of white stripes around the blue bar lead to a look similar to what we see today. White cuffs are added to the jersey to go with a white stripe around the waist as well as the sewing of the letter "A" inside the elongated "C".

1915-1916

1916-1917

The 1915-16 version of the Canadiens' saw the addition of the now familiar blue stripe around the arm, as the jersey continued to evolve to where it stands today.

In 1916, an "H" for Hockey replaces the letter "A". The change is linked to the purchase of the team by the Canadien Hockey Club, run by Mr George Kennedy. A blue stripe is added above the white, at the bottom part of the jersey as it now truly begins to resemble the Canadiens jersey as we know it.

1917-1923

1917-1918

The Canadiens enter the newly-formed National Hockey League in 1917-18 wearing a sweater which looks a lot like the current jersey. The all-too familiar logo is tweaked to the point where it stands today. For the first time, the players' numbers are also sewn on the back. The white and blue stripes at the bottom of the jersey are reversed.

A fire at the Westmount Arena forces the team to borrow the jerseys belonging to the Hochelaga team from the City League, for a game against Ottawa on Jan. 5, 1918. The jerseys are red with a very large white stripe across the chest. How is that for a collector's item? In case you’re wondering, the Canadiens, borrowed jerseys and all, beat Ottawa 6-5 that night.

1923-1924

1924-1925

The Canadiens keep the same colors, but go back to the white "C". The blue and white stripes at the bottom are switched once again, and red, white and blue stripes are added to the collar.

The Canadiens decide to proudly display their "World Championship", following their second Stanley Cup triumph, replacing the "CH" by a globe in the middle of their jersey. The official logo with the white "C" could still be found on each sleeve.

1925-1946

1935-1938

The team goes back to the traditional jersey, with the "CH" logo in the middle and a red "C", for the start of the 1925-26 season. This model practically mirrors today's jersey.

From December 1935, the Canadiens wear a white jersey for the games against Detroit at the Forum, in order to avoid any confusion with the Red Wings'
red uniform. The Canadiens' white jersey came in two different styles with the team also donning it against Detroit in 1936-37 and in 1937-38.
That era's pictures can't help determine whether the small red and blue stripes on the shoulder area were especially for forwards or defensemen.